Three years ago this fall I was in Oaxaca, getting ready to do a field trip with Eric Mindling for his book, Oaxaca Stories in Cloth. During the few days before we were scheduled to hit the road for the back country, the Museo Textil de Oaxaca, a wonderful institution right in the heart of the city, was sponsoring an international gathering of textile scholars and artisans. Coincidentally, Flora Callañaupa, sister of our frequent author Nilda Callañaupa, was there with a group of five weavers from the Cusco district of Peru. These were young weavers, all in their teens and early twenties, none of whom had been so far away from home before. Their responsibility at this conference was to demonstrate their weaving skills between sessions and sell their textiles in a small marketplace.

A young weaver demonstrating Peruvian backstrap weaving in Oaxaca.

An Adventure in Validation

We went to dinner together one evening, and with Flora’s translation help, talked about their experience in coming to Mexico. Several expressed the trepidation they had felt: they were in their native clothes and expected to be laughed at. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Their stunning mantas and ponchos and knitted caps were the hit of the event. Attendees were fascinated to see their backstrap weaving styles, too–much like that of the Maya, but so very different in many ways. They were proud to be asked about their work. The whole trip was an adventure in validation.

A gorgeous manta from the community of Pitumarca.

Young weaver from Pitumarca community.

Thinking back over that evening gathering, it occurred to me that the young generation of weavers in the Peruvian Highlands had a lot to share, and a lot to gain from public recognition. We’ve paid a good deal of attention to their grandparents (see Faces of Tradition: Weaving Elders of the Andes), but these youth are carrying on their centuries-old traditions in a changing world. What if we asked them to show their skills, asked about their hopes and dreams, and photographed and recorded it all? What about a book?

Discovering the Secrets

Just a year later, there we were in Chinchero, a village near the city of Cusco: Associate Publisher Karen Brock, photographer Joe Coca, and I. We were at work on our new book, Secrets of Spinning, Weaving, and Knitting in the Peruvian Highlands. Weavers came from all the member villages of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC), some as young as ten years old, all deeply skilled. Some of their elders came, too, so we ended up with a truly multi-generational effort. They patiently showed us, step by step, the tricks and techniques of their crafts, many of which I’d never seen before. CTTC director Nilda Callanaupa and her able assistant Sara Lyons provided the words.

Ronaldo Condori Layme very patiently teaching Karen the scallop cast-on technique from his community of Accha Alta.

Photographer Joe Coca, doing what he does best: having fun and making friends. Here with artisans from the communities of Accha Alta and Mahuaypampa.

There’s a special kind of joy in seeing young people so engaged in sharing their culture. There was a lot of smiling, laughing, joking. There was a lot of patience with these gringos from the U.S. who had to be shown the simplest things over and over again. There was shy pride in knowing they would be honored in a book that would be seen by thousands.

Book Cover Weaving in the Peruvian Highlands by Nilda Callanaupa Alvarez, Thrums Books

Thanks to Linda Ligon, publisher of Thrums Books, for sharing her vision (and this blog which was first published here). Linda has been a steadfast supporter of textile artisans for over forty years and continues to dedicate herself to preserving the narrative of traditional textiles and their makers through publishing.

About ClothRoads

Travel with us on ClothRoads to a world of authentic textile culture. Here you’ll find folk and collectible textiles, accessories, fabric, and fiber art materials from many corners of the globe, along with fascinating stories of indigenous artisans and ancient techniques used in traditional and modern ways. From the rivers of India to the mountaintops of Peru, we go directly to villages and cooperatives to bring you these textile stories and the work of skilled artisans who are dyeing, weaving, spinning, printing and embroidering some of world’s most beautiful objects. When you purchase from ClothRoads, you help us to build and develop new markets that allow artisans and communities, especially women and girls, to flourish.